quicky notes & a photoshow

Below is a photoshow for the season. Do I mention the boys often enough? I've been very impressed with Jackson this week, so cooperative and mature. He can be such a delight. In the gym shower last night, after we went in the hot tub, he washed, dressed, and handed me his suit, all without the usual antics. Ry followed suit. Jack carved his own pumpkin this year and he made it doublesided. He used a pattern for one side, which took some time, hand drew a design on the other side, and he made clean cuts. On Halloween, he went out with the older boys to do a second go-round of trick or treating, and, man, did they ever score. No hard candies; mostly little bags of the good stuff. Large candy bars, one Play-Dough, one popcorn ball, and one Capri Sun midway on our route. While the other adults manned the haunted house at the cousins', I took the kids around the first time. Ry was getting desperately tired by the end and his pumpkin pail was heavy. (He added a small rock to his pail, just for a joke.) Jack usually made small talk at each house, often asking them, How's YOUR Halloween? And when he got back, he dumped his candy loot on the floor, sorted out everything with peanuts, and the trading began in earnest. He's got the attention of his soccer coach, who was trying to give him some pointers at practice this week. And he learned something a couple of weeks ago about the jolly round fella from the North Pole who dresses in red. He did say he wished he'd gotten through one more Christmas. Ry is such a sweetheart. He drew some nice pictures last night with a tree on the right and a sun on the left, the blue sky above, and the green grass below. He talks a lot about left and right. Then he read some words to me, sounding out all of the letters. He's always asking me about subtraction. We did all the jungle gyms at school while Jack was at practice. It's a very nice playground. We often cuddle at night and in the wee hours he'll ask me, Can I go to the other room? Our version of musical beds still. Jack and Cyndi often are in the other bed. When I ask Rylee a question, his favorite reply these days is, I have no clue. And he's been addressing Cyndi as "Mother." Ry always asks for a special breakfast on Saturdays, and the boys both help to make pancakes, waffles, or French toast. We've been making fried eggs, too. Last week I used my poaching method, which turned the eggs a little more done, less runny, for me. Ry ate the yolk of his; Jackson ate the white of his.

Some beautiful days this past week. Sunny, low 70s during the day, with a gentle breeze. The air is clean and crisp, and occasionally I'll catch a wift of someone's pinon log fire in the evening.

And the election is over, thank goodness. Nothing too offensive here in New Mexico, but nationwide seemed very stressful.